Bell ringing apparatus



July 10, 1956 w. H. SHAFFER 2,754,504

BELL RINGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1954 8| a? |5 49 7| 53 J 5% 1 G 9|77. I 27 53 :l I /89 i 3 73 6 T. y 6

-El 6569 9 75 I69 L23 43 m a 5 F|G 2 25 Q5 33 29 57 IN V EN TOR. WALTERH. SHAFFER BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,754,504 BELL RINGINGAPPARATUS Walter H. Shaffer, Urbana, Ohio Application October 20, 1954,Serial N 0. 463,349

3 Claims. (Cl. 340-398) My present invention is directed to hell ringingapparatus and to improvements therein which provide a compact,light-weight, economical construction having particular utility forchurches, schools and so forth.

The relatively high initial and maintenance costs of powered bellringing apparatus and the expensive nature of a structure usuallyrequired to support the same have precluded many organizations includingchurches from securing such equipment. Further, hand-pulled bell ringingapparatus such as is available in many small churches and schoolsrequires considerable manual effort and for this reason such equipmenthas tended to fall into disuse with the result that such organizationslack suitable bells.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an economicalcompact light-weight apparatus for bell ringing which is powered,requires substantially no maintenance, occupies very little space andrequires no elaborate structure for its support.

It is a particular object of this invention to providepower driven bellringing apparatus which simulates soundwise hand pulled bell ringingapparatus.

It is an important object of this invention to provide with a bellringing apparatus a novel pivotal arrangement of a hammer-carrying leverarm which provides for compactness, economy and light weight.

The invention particularly contemplates the provision of electric motordriven bell ringing apparatus in a remote spacing such as the steeple ina church, and the positioning of an electric motor control for startingand stopping the motor in an accessible location on the main floor or inthe basement of the structure. The motor itself when the bell is tolledoperates continuously and through suitable power transmission and speedreducing mechanism actuates pivoted hammer-carrying lever arm means, thehammer means of which contacts the bell to sound the same.

Most suitably a pair of hammers, each carried on a separate lever arm,are employed and when suitably spaced, as noted hereinafter, the effectwill be much the same as that of a hand-pulled bell ringer.

From the viewpoint of economy the electric motor, although of relativelyhigh speed, is most economical and the power transmission mechanismassociated therewith in the practice of this invention has been selectedboth for reasons of economy and weight.

The equipment is so arranged that it occupies but very little spacingand in fact can be made portable. Accordingly it is not necessary thatany particular structural arrangement be provided for the support of theapparatus.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view partially in section illustratingthe mechanism of invention and a hood therefor, the apparatus beingshown in operative association with a bell;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure of Figure 1 with the hoodremoved; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the pivotal arrangement ofthe lever arms-of the structure of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown an em- Patented July 10,195% bodiment of the invention which may be employed, for example, in achurch steeple, and suitable electrical connections, to be referred tomore particularly hereinafter, are indicated for the operation of theapparatus from the main floor of the church.

Thus as shown in Figure 1 the bell 1 is supported on a stanchion 3 whichis secured to base 5. This may be any suitable arrangement of bell on asupport, the bell itself being fixed.

Adjacent the hell 1 is the housing 7 which encloses the mechanism ofinvention; as shown hammers 9, 11 extend through an opening in thehousing 7 and are adapted to contact the bell 1 when lever arms 13, 15which extend longitudinally of the housing 7 are pivoted to cause thehammers to move downwardly. This housing 7 is quite small, it beingusual for the lever arms themselves to be approximately 26 inches inlength and to extend very nearly the full length of the housing.

Mounted on support 17, which is the bottom closure of the housing 7, isan electric motor 19 having a motor pulley 21. The motor 19 is the usualcommercial A. C. motor, operating at a speed of about 1750 R. P. M., andthe mechanism now to be described provides for suitable rotational speedreduction for the actuation of the lever arm means, 13, 15.

The 3 inch motor pulley 21 through V-belt 23 drives a 12 inch pulley 25which is secured on a shaft 27 journaled in bearing blocks 29, 31 whichare themselves mounted, respectively, on upstanding members 33, 35.Shaft 27 also carries a 2 inch pulley 37 which through V-belt 39 drivesa 12inch pulley 41. Pulley 41 is secured on shaft 43 which is journaledin the bearing blocks 45, 47 secured, respectively, to the sides of theupstanding members 33, 35. Shaft 43 carries a 2 inch pulley 49 whichthrough V-belt 51 drives a 12 inch pulley 53 on shaft 55, and whichshaft is journaled in bearing blocks 57, 59 also supported on the sidesof the upstanding members 33, 35, respectively.

Cams 61, 63 spaced apart upon the shaft are arranged to be actuated atan interval of 120 degrees and in the rotation of the shaft 55 the camscontact the rearward extensions of the lever arms 13, 15 to pivot thesame as now will be noted more particularly.

Referring first to the arrangement of the lever arms the shaft 43approximately centrally thereof carries pillow blocks 65, 67 which housesuitable bearings and the blocks are freely supported on the shaft 43for pivotal rotation with respect to the shaft. The lever arm 13 issecured to the pillow block 65 by bolts indicated at 69, while the leverarm 15 is secured to the pillow block 67 by bolts 71. Thus when theblocks 65, 67 are rotated with respect to the shaft 43 the arms 13, 15pivot such that the hammers 9, 11 are raised or lowered, depending uponthe direction of the pivotal rotation of the blocks on the shaft '43.

Collars 73, set screwed to the shaft 43 retain the pillow block 65against longitudinal movement of the shaft, while collars 77, 79 performa similar function with respect to the block 67. The lever arms thusextend longitudinally and approximately centrally of the support 17 andare pivoted on a shaft of the power transmission and speed reducingmechanism in such manner that there is no interference with the pivotingof the arms and the hammers are thus so arranged that they strike hell 1at very nearly the same location on the bell.

A bearing 81 between the pulleys 41, 49 serves to adequately support theshaft, the bearing being supported from the base 17.

The rearward extensions of arms 13, 15 each may carry rollers 83, 85 forsmooth rolling contact with the earns 61, 63. Such rollers are notnecessary, but may be employed if-desired.

Forwardly adjacent the bell 1 and beneath thearms 13, within the housing7 there is positioned a laterally extending block 87 which mounts softrubber cones 89, 91. When the arms 13, 15, after having struck the bell,tend to rebound the cones 89, 91 effectively prohibit oscillation of thearms, and thus any tendency toward a vibratory action of the arms isinhibited. The arms are so arranged with respect to the cones and thehammer weight that the cones are slightly compressed when the hammerdrops to actuate the bell. The cones provide a suflicient resistance toinhibit, as already noted, any vibratory or rebound action of thehammer.

As shown most clearly in Figure 3 the earns 61, 63 carried on the shaft55 are of involute form, rotate (Figure 2) in a counterclockwisedirection and in their rotation engage the rollers 83, 85 carried on theextensions of the arms 13, 15. The cams are so shaped that there is along period of wiping contact between the cams and the arm extensionsand asthe cams passalong the arms the extensions move downwardly, thearms pivoting on,

the shaft 43 to raise the hammers 9, 11. As the cam passes off theextension of the. lever arm the extension and accordingly the hammer endalso are released and the hammer falls to strike the bell. a wiper andlever motion in which engagement of a cam and lever arm extension raisethe hammer, and disengagement of the cam and lever arm extension orfollower permits the hammer to drop.

I have found that by setting the cams in such manner that the cam 61 isactuatedabout 120 degrees ahead of the cam 63 that the sonic response ofthe bell is very similar to that attained when a hand-pulled. bell isused. As will be noted from the drawing in Figure 3 there is a dwellperiod of about 240 degrees between each cycle, a cycle beingconstituted by a striking of the bell 1 byeach of the hammers 9, 11.

The equipment is actuated through a suitable stopstart switch 88 locatedin a. conveniently accessible portion of the building structure asindicated schematically in Figure l, the electrical connection betweenswitch 88 and motor 19 being indicated at.90. Accordingly to operate theapparatus it is simply necessary to press the starting button and theoperation will continue until the stop button is pressed, the belltolling at intervalsin a cycle determined. by the number. andarrangement of the lever arms and cams.

The arrangement of the power transmission speed reducing mechanism toeither sidev of the arms and on opposed sidcsof the support 17 providesfor attainment of the required speed reduction with inexpensive means ina compact arrangement. Supporting the arms on a transverse shaft of thepower transmission mechanism also reduces expense, and requires theprovision of only a minimum number of bearings in the equipment.

The hood of the housing 7 protects the equipment from exposure to rain,sleet, ice and so forth, and further provides means for transporting theequipment should the same be desirable. Further the housing and flexibledrive transmission afforded. by the belts reduce noise to a minimum.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modificationin order to adopt it to different usages and conditions and accordinglyit is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention asmay fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In bell ringing apparatus, a pair of substantially parallel,horizontally extending hammer-carrying lever ams, pivot means for thelever arms supporting the same between the ends thereof, means to rockthe arms on the pivot means to raise the hammer-carrying portions of thelever arms, the means to occasion the rocking comprising rotatablymounted cam means operable in a vertical plane and extensions of thelever arms engageable with the cam means in the rotation thereof, anddrive Thus the action is,

mechanism, including an electric motor, rotatable shafts and powertransmission speed reducing means on the shafts, cooperable with the cammeans to rotate the same, the cam means being involute in form andengageable with the arm extensions over only a portion of the cam means,the hammer-carrying portions of the lever arms being free to fall whenthe extensions are not engaged by the cam means, the pivot means for thelever arms comprising a single shaft of the power transmission mechanismand bearing, blocks freely supported on the said single shaft, the armsbeing secured between their ends to said blocks well rearwardly of thecenters of the lever arms and remote from the hammer-carrying ends ofthe lever arms.

2. in hell ringing apparatus, a longitudinally extending support havinga forward end, an electric motor on the support at the forward end andhaving a driving shaft, power transmission speed reducing mechanismincluding driven shafts extending transversely of the supportthereabove, the driven shafts being spaced longitudinally of the supportand having flexible drive means connecting the same together, a forwardone of the driven shafts being in drivingrelation to a rearward one ofthe driven shafts, a pair. of bearing blocks spaced apart and looselymounted on said forward one of the driven shafts for rotation withrespect to said shaft, a pair of substantially parallel horizontallyextending hammer-carrying lever arms secured between their ends one oneach bearing block and the arms extendinglongitudinally of the supportand having the rearward extensions of the arms remote from the hammersand adjacent the rearward of said driven shafts, and a pair of involutecams operable in a vertical plane secured to said rearward driven shaftand each adapted to engage with anddisengage from a said lever armextension in cam rotation, the cams being arranged to disengage with thelever arm at an interval of about 120 of rotation and to provide adwellperiod of about 240 of rotationthe lever arm, being pivoted byengagement with the cams to raise the hammer-carrying portions thereof,the hammer-carrying portions being free to fall upon disengagement.

3. In bell ringing apparatus, a base support, a housing over the baseand of greater length than width, the housing having a forward end forpositioning adjacent a bell to be rung and said forward end having anopening therethrough, and within the housing mounted on the support, incombination, an electric motor and power transmission speed reducingmeans operably connected with the electric motor, the power transmissionmeans including driven shafts extending transversely of and whollywithin the housing, a pair of substantially horizontally extendinghammer-carrying lever arms in substantially parallel side by siderelation extending longitudinally of the housing and centrally of thesupport and each pivotally mounted between ends thereof on one of thedriven shafts, cam means rotatably operable in a vertical plane toengage and disengage the lever arms to cause pivotal movement of thearms, the hammer-carrying portions of the lever arms being forward ofthe driven shafts and extending through the opening of the housing, andresilient means within the housing at the forward end thereof beneaththe lever arms and adapted to engage the lever arms resiliently upondownward movement of the hammer-carrying portions thereof.

